Odin
The All-Father
Odin is a Norse god who lives in a kingdom called Asgard. He relentlessly seeks wisdom, in an oddly self-interested way. He is the patron of both rulers and outlaws, which suggests that he is about power without regard for good and evil. Odin sacrificed an eye and hung for nine days and nine nights from Yggdrasil in order to gain knowledge of the nine worlds and the runic alphabet. He then became the god of poetry, speaking only in verse. At the same time, Odin is the ultimate war-god who can incite the peaceful to strife and favors the frenzied fighting of berserker warriors. Presiding over Valhalla, he serves as a necromancer accessing the wisdom of the dead. Called the “All-Father”, some consider him the father of both men and gods. Odin is married to Frigg, the goddess of wisdom, with whom he has 3 children. Most notable of those kids is Balder (god of light) who is killed by his twin brother, Hod (blind god of darkness). With other women, Odin is the father of Thor (god of thunder), Vidar (god of vengeance), and Hermod (messengers of the gods). Sleipnir is Odin’s eight-legged horse and is the child of Loki. Described as the best of all horses, Sleipnir is one of the few creatures that can travel to Hel. In addition to his horse, Odin has two ravens, named Huginn and Muninn. The birds can travel in all of the nine worlds of Norse mythology in order to gather information for Odin’s ears. Finally, Odin has a spear named Gungnir. Made by the dwarves, this spear was perfectly balanced so that it could strike any target without regard to the strength or skill of the thrower. If you are looking for help with power, wisdom, prestige, or simply a good fight, Odin may be your guy.
Magic of Odin
General
Chakra: Brow
Element: Air
Sabbat: Wild Hunt
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Color: Black, Orange, Red
Day: Wednesday
Herb: Mandrake, Marjoram, Valerian
Totem: Eagle, Raven, Wolf
Stone: Agate, Carnelian, Gold, Jet, Onyx
Power
Civilization
Wisdom
War
Runes
Poetry
Magic
Aromatherapy
Dragon’s blood
Pine
Sandalwood
Runes of Odin
Ansuz: ᚨ
This is the A-rune and is associated with ‘ancestry’, specifically Odin. Pronounced as ANN-suhz, this rune harkens back to our sacred ancestry. From this connection comes the link to inspiration, breath, and speech. Think of this as the voice of the universe.
Dagaz: ᛞ
Dagaz is the D-rune and can be remembered with the word ‘day’. Pronounced as Day-gahz, this is one of the runes that references time, change in an insightful “a-ha!” kind of way.
Ehwaz: ᛖ
The Eh-rune, Ehwaz represents the word “horse” and is pronounced Eh-was. It is the rune of harmonious teamwork and trust. Use this rune when working collaboratively toward a common goal.
Jera: ᛃ
Jera is the J-rune and is associated with the word “year”. This rune also references time and change, but in a more gradual manner. It is the larger cycle of time, seasons, harvests, rewards are represented by Jera.
Laguz: ᛚ
The L-rune, laguz is symbolized by the word “lake” or “water”. Suggesting both a cleansing meaning and an emotional association, think of the unconscious or something requiring an ebb and flow.
Othala: ᛟ
The Othala rune is the O-rune. Pronounced Oh-thall-ah, think of the word “origin” as this rune represents heritage, inheritance and can signify a kind of nobility.
Wynn: ᚹ
This rune is the W-rune. It is pronounced as wen. It gets its shape from the weather vane that rode upon Viking ships. The word to remember this rune is “well-being”. It is the rune of joy, hope, and harmony.
Glossary
Yggdrasil
At the heart of Norse mythology is Yggdrasil (pronounced: IG-drah-sil) the tree of life. Connecting the nine worlds, the branches of Yggdrasil reach up to the heavens, while three roots anchor the tree in three different directions. The first reaches beneath Hel, the second beneath Jötnar, and third stretches to Midgard. This mighty tree reflects the well-being of the entire cosmos, as a single organic organism. In other words, when Yggdrasil is well the world is well, when Yggdrasil is vulnerable, all is vulnerable.
Ásgarðr
Cradled in the upper branches of Yggdrasil, Asgard (pronounced: AS-gard) rests as one of the nine worlds. Translated as “the enclosure of the Aesir“, it is the home of the Aesir. The suffix of Asgard (‘-gard’) refers to the Germanic concept of innangard (inside the fence) and utangard (outside the fence). Innangard is civilized and orderly while utangard is chaotic and untamable. Asgard is the epitome of the innangard and is connected to Midgard (the human world) by a rainbow bridge named Bifrost.
Æsir
The Aesir (pronounced: ICE-ir) are the most prominent clan of gods in Norse mythology. Ruled by Odin, they favor intellect, strength, power, and war. They are well symbolized by the element of air and with the Tarot suit of swords. The male gods in Asgard are called Áss, and the female gods are called Ásynja. While the Aesir are the principal gods, they are not the creators of the cosmos. They did, however, create mankind and the nine worlds inside the cosmos.
Valhöll
Valhalla (pronounced: val-HAL-uh) is the grand hall of the slain warriors. Located in Asgard, it is ruled over by Odin. He and his Valkyries (pronounced: VAL-ker-ees) choose only the most worthy kings and fighters to enter these esteemed halls of the dead. It is a kind of Norse paradise. All day long the dead warriors get to battle earning great valor. When evening arrives, they are fully healed and feast on divine boar and mead. Odin keeps them in fighting form so that they may serve him in battle during Ragnarok.
Sleipnir
The eight-legged horse named Sleipnir (pronounced: SLAYP-nir) is one of Odin’s helping spirits. Sleipnir was born when the god Loki shape-shifted into a mare in order to distract a stallion called Svadilfari (pronounced: Shvod-ill-FAR-ee) in order to save his own life. The mighty stallion was aiding a giant in building the wall surrounding Asgard. In order to prevent the giant from completing the task, Loki seduced the stallion in the forest where he became pregnant and gave birth to the grey foal Sleipnir.
Huginn & Muninn
In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn (pronounced: HOO-gin” and “MOO-nin) are a pair of ravens that gather information from the nine worlds for Odin. Odin sends them out in the morning and they return to him by breakfast, although he harbors a fear that one day they may not return to him. Huginn is named for “thought” and Muninn is named for “memory”. As Odin is the god of war and death, the ravens are appropriate symbols. They are also intelligent creatures giving Odin sage insights.
Gungnir
Created by the dwarves, Odin’s spear Gungnir (pronounce: GUNG-neer) was one of the gods’ greatest treasures. It had runes carved upon its point and served him well in war. Shouting “Óðinn á yðr alla!” (Odin owns you all), Odin would hurl Gungnir into battle as the opening cry. He turned Gungnir upon himself when he hung as a sacrifice for the knowledge of the runes.